


A Secret

by thealpacalypse



Series: George Squared Sleepover Fluff [3]
Category: Call Me Katie (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Canon Disabled Character, Coming Out, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:30:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5234153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealpacalypse/pseuds/thealpacalypse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Bates is anxious because Gleeson said they needed to talk, but in the end everything is fine and Harry Potter is bisexual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Secret

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's the thing. I wrote this fic ages ago. I already planned it before [this post](http://georgebatescommentates.tumblr.com/post/128012386199/when-did-glesson-come-out-to-you-how-was-it-how) existed, but then I saw the post and it was really funny, because it was like 90% of what I had planned anyway. I changed a few details after reading it, but it's still pretty much what my headcanon was in the first place. So, just so you know, I'm not stealing, I'm just incredibly good at guessing. (and also completely full of myself.)
> 
> I also need to brag about the fact that I have the best beta in the world, [the amazing Jenna](http://ofcourseitsinsidemyhead.tumblr.com/).

Gleeson is lying on the bed with his eyes closed when Bates walks into his room on a Wednesday afternoon during summer break. Gleeson doesn’t have his legs on, which usually isn’t a strange sight for Bates, especially at sleepover nights, but they haven’t had a sleepover in two years (Bates’s mum is being incredibly strict about it but never really explains why – her excuse is that it’s not appropriate for boys their age, but Bates thinks that’s bullcrap), so right now Gleeson taking his legs off is mostly a sign that shit’s going to go down, because Gleeson said they needed to talk.

 

This is weird. They haven’t seen each other for a week because Bates was away visiting his grandparents, and he was so looking forward to seeing Gleeson again, but this feels all wrong. Bates has never seen Gleeson so shy before – his whole body seems to be tense, and Bates’s body immediately copies him. Gleeson sounded downright scary on the phone, didn’t want to say what this was all about, didn’t reply to Bates’s question when Bates asked if Gleeson was okay.

 

Bates takes a deep breath, puts on a cheerful face for Gleeson and says, “Hey mate!”

 

Gleeson opens his eyes, smiles cautiously and sits up. “Hey B,” he mumbles.

 

This is terrible, Bates already wants to scream because it’s so painful to see Gleeson like this, especially after this whole week of not seeing him at all. But he can’t let this get to him, he has to be strong for Gleeson’s sake, because he’s sure, whatever Gleeson has to tell him is pretty friggin’ horrible.

 

But Gleeson doesn’t say anything after greeting him, and Bates was never one to endure silence for too long, especially if it’s the awkward kind, especially when it’s with Gleeson. Bates is a master at filling awkward silences.

 

“I brought chocolate chip cookies!” he explains as cheerfully as he can manage. “And the Harry Potter movies and your favourite pillow and also a coupon for ordering pizza, because I’m pretty sure whatever it is you want to talk about, we need some pizza for that.”

 

Apparently the ‘being as cheerful as possible’ method seems to work to some extent, because Gleeson’s face lights up a little at the mention of pizza. “Thanks,” he says. “It’s not actually – uh, it’s not that big of a deal, probably? I don’t know.”

 

“Huh, for ‘not that big of a deal’ you’re wearing a remarkably small amount of legs,” Bates notes. Gleeson chuckles and nods.

 

There’s a weird pause, very long and unusual for them, until Bates realizes that he’s still awkwardly standing in Gleeson’s doorframe, so he sits down onto the bed next to Gleeson.

 

As soon as he’s there, he can practically feel Gleeson’s nervousness, and it makes his heart beat painfully in his chest. Bates is also a master of jumping to conclusions and imagining the worst scenarios possible, so he thinks he might be prepared for anything: A death in Gleeson’s family, Gleeson having to move away, Gleeson being angry at him for some reason… well, he’s not prepared at all, not really, but basically he’s counting on the worst. He’s usually not a pessimist, but when your best friend with a sunshine personality suddenly begins to get secretive and quiet, there’s no way around it: You just _have_ to worry.

 

There’s a big lump in Bates’s throat when he finally asks, “So… what did you want to talk about?”

 

Gleeson blushes. It doesn’t make any sense to Bates.  Why would Gleeson be embarrassed or ashamed about whatever he has to say? Did he do something bad? Bates hasn’t considered that option really – Gleeson is the most innocent and perfect person he knows, he would never do anything that’s not right. Bates quietly freaks out internally while the fear of not knowing about something that bothers Gleeson so much grows into an ugly monster in his stomach. He was gone for only one week, how can that be enough time for something so bad to happen that Gleeson feels like he can’t talk about it to his best friend?

 

Finally, Gleeson asks, “Uh, pizza first? I think you’re right, this is a conversation better to be had with pizza.”

 

Bates nods, while the monster in his stomach begins to whisper ugly things: _He doesn’t trust you._ And _This is it, he’s going to end your friendship now, he’s had enough of you._ There’s no way Bates will be able to eat anything – not even pizza – as long as that monster is there, but whatever. Gleeson is the boss.

 

***

 

They order their pizza and Bates counts the minutes until it arrives. They play a round of Set until then, but it’s the worst they’ve played ever, neither of them really paying attention, they’re too tense and distracted by whatever is going on in their heads. Or at least that’s what Bates thinks is going on when Gleeson and him stare at a deck with three perfect sets in it for two whole minutes.

 

Bates flinches when the doorbell rings thirty-seven minutes later. He’s a mess by now, throwing glances at Gleeson every other moment to see if he’s able to read his facial expressions, but no way.

 

He still studies Gleeson’s face when the pizza finally stands between them and Gleeson takes a first bite out of his slice. And then Bates just loses it, because this pizza looks friggin’ delicious, but he won’t be able to eat a bite until he finally knows what’s going on.

 

“Did I do something wrong?” he blurts out and the amount of panic that has built up inside of him makes his voice tremble. He has never felt more vulnerable in his life.

 

Gleeson looks up, looks at Bates properly for the first time in this whole last hour probably, and blinks. “What?” he asks confusedly.

 

And then the monster in Bates’s stomach climbs up to his tongue and takes control of it, and Bates can’t stop himself. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” he almost shouts. “I did something wrong and now you hate me and you don’t want to have anything to do with me anymore, but you’re too nice to say it because you’re literally –“

 

“No, I’m gay,” Gleeson interrupts him and silence falls over them instantly. Bates’s brain is slow while it tries to process all the information that’s in those three words. The process works a bit like that:

 

  1. _Gleeson interrupted me._
  2. _What, Gleeson doesn’t hate me?_
  3. _Oh, this is not about anything I did._
  4. _Gleeson is gay?_
  5. _Oh wow, Gleeson is gay._
  6. _Wait, that’s it?_



When his brain finally reaches that point, a sudden burst of laughter spills over Bates’s lips and he can’t hold it back. Considering that he expected the worst, this is actually the best. He feels so light and free suddenly, the monster on his tongue is gone, his stomach flutters, his chest feels wide and open and he laughs and laughs – until he realizes that Gleeson doesn’t laugh with him.

 

Gleeson, in fact, stares at him with shock in his eyes and doesn’t move. And Bates suddenly realizes that he’s being an asshole. “Gee, shit, I’m sorry!” he exclaims. “I didn’t mean to, I’m just so glad, I expected something terrible!”

 

Gleeson relaxes only slowly and carefully asks: “So… this isn’t terrible?”

 

“Of course not!” Bates shouts and only remembers to lower his voice when Gleeson gives him that certain look that tells him he’s being too loud again. More quietly he continues. “No, but seriously, it’s all good, it’s amazing! I mean – it is, isn’t it? Or, uh, how do you feel about it?”

 

Gleeson bites his lower lip, but there’s a small smile tugging on the corner of his mouth and Bates takes that as a good sign. “I’m okay with it, really. Better now that I know that you’re okay with it, too. You nearly gave me a heart attack when you laughed like that, you… you…”

 

It’s so adorable to Bates that Gleeson can’t even manage to finish an insult when he really tries. He grins and replies: “Well, _you_ nearly gave me a heart attack when you were being all secretive and weird about this – don’t ever do that to me again, okay?”

 

Bates hopes it’s not too early for teasing like that, because wow, Gleeson just came out to him, that couldn’t have been easy, but Bates had enough of this exhausting tension for now, and luckily Gleeson grins back at him, even though he blushes again now.

 

“Well I’m sorry,” Gleeson replies defensively and then mumbles: “It’s not like I have a lot of experience with coming out, you are the first person I’m telling.”

 

Bates’s eyes widen. “I’m the first?” he asks excitedly. “Awesome!” He holds his hand up for a high five, but only then realizes that Gleeson is still holding that slice of pizza. He completely forgot about the pizza, and judging by the look on Gleeson’s face when he stares at the slice in his hand, he completely forgot about it as well. Gleeson giggles, puts the pizza down and high fives with Bates. And that’s pretty much the end of that conversation.

 

***

 

They eat their pizza, which has gotten cold by now, but they don’t mind, and Bates cracks stupid jokes about all the horrible expectations he had about Gleeson wanting to talk. Those expectations seem ridiculous by now and Gleeson seems to enjoy them as well, so Bates lets his imagination run wild.

 

“I thought that maybe you built up a crime empire in the week that I was gone, made Peter your second in command and wanted to tell me that I should stay out of your business if I didn’t want to become a victim of mob violence,” Bates says with as much of a serious face as he can manage, while Gleeson giggles breathlessly.

 

“Nothing funny about that!” Bates complains jokingly, but can barely hold a grin back himself. “I thought you were now in the business of dealing with illegal magical artefacts and you didn’t want to share your success with me.”

 

When Gleeson shakes with laughter then, Bates finally can’t hold back his own laugh any longer. “Speaking about magical artifacts,” Gleeson finally wheezes, “You said you brought Harry Potter movies? Which ones?”

 

Bates rolls his eyes. “All of them, duh!”

 

“Sooo…” They look at each other like they always do in a moment like this, it’s a game between them where they shout out the title of the movie they want to rewatch and try by telepathy to both get the same one.

 

They both take a deep breath before Bates exclaims “Order of the Phoenix!” while Gleeson shouts at the same time: “Prisoner of Azkaban!” They need to work on their telepathy.

 

“Really, Order of the Phoenix?” Gleeson asks, judgement obvious in his voice. “I just bared my soul to you and you are willing to force me through this abomination of a movie?”

 

Bates pouts. “Hey, we agreed to not compare the movies to the books anymore, remember? And the movie isn’t that horrible, it’s dark and cool and it has the Luna Lovegood, okay?”

 

“But everything is so _wrong_ in that movie! And Prisoner of Azkaban has Remus Lupin.”

 

Gleeson is right of course.

 

***

 

Halfway through the movie though Bates suddenly gets a thought stuck in his head he just needs to say out loud. “What if Harry was gay though? Wouldn’t that be awesome, a hero like that being gay?” he asks, grabs the remote and pauses the movie.

 

Gleeson seems surprised. “Harry?” He pauses for a moment, until he declares: “Nah, I rather think he would be bisexual.” He says it so matter-of-factly that it makes Bates think he thought about stuff like that before.

 

“Bisexual?” he curiously asks. “Why that?” It’s not like he hasn’t heard the word bisexual before, but it’s just too abstract for him, nobody ever seems to care enough to take the time to explain it properly – and honestly, he feels so stupid for not knowing.

 

Gleeson sits up properly now and hugs one of his knees, and then he begins: “Well, I actually ship Harry and Ginny, so Harry being gay wouldn’t work for me. But Harry definitely has a crush on Cedric, and if you believe the internet, he’s totally in love with Draco Malfoy, so there’s that. Bisexual Harry, it would be great indeed.”

 

Bates grins. “So you _have_ thought about this before!” he exclaims.

 

“Well, I did some research,” Gleeson admits and blushes.

 

“About gay Harry Potter?” Bates doesn’t get it. His mind is also still processing that bit about Harry being in love with both Ginny and Draco – he doesn’t agree, Harry and Cedric makes a lot more sense to him, but somehow the thought still makes something click inside of him. Bisexual Harry, it makes sense.

 

Gleeson laughs. “No, about sexualities,” he explains. But then he adds, with a slightly embarrassed grin, “But also about Harry Potter fanfiction, so basically, yes, about gay Harry Potter.”

 

Bates definitely wants to know more about that, but something about this rubs him the wrong way. “Wait,” he asks, “When did you do all that research? I was gone for only one week.”

 

The question makes Gleeson blush again and he bites his lips before he admits: “Well, I was beginning to look into it about two months ago…”

 

 _Unbelievable._ “And you’re only just telling me now?!” Bates shouts in shock. “Gee, that’s horrible, I don’t want you to feel like you need to have secrets from me, I’m your best friend, you should always feel like you can tell me everything, and if that’s not the case, then I’m obviously doing something wrong!”

 

And Gleeson just… laughs at him _. What?!_

 

“Calm down, B, you’re being overly dramatic,” Gleeson chuckles. “I just needed some time to figure it out by myself, okay? And like I said before, you’re the first person I told, so you’re definitely doing everything right.”

 

Bates scratches the back of his head again and smiles at Gleeson and suddenly has a lot of feelings about being the first to know.

 

***

 

Eventually they finish Prisoner of Azkaban, but not without figuring out that Remus and Sirius are totally a couple, as well as Lavender and Parvati, and Dean Thomas might have a crush on his best friend Seamus, and just because it’s so much fun talking about it, they decide to watch Goblet of Fire as well to see about Harry’s crush on Cedric (and Ron’s immense crush on Viktor Krum at that).

 

It’s incredibly late when the movie is finally over and Bates stretches and yawns. “What do you say we’re going to bed now?”

 

Gleeson is surprised. “What, you’re staying?” he asks.

 

“Of course I’m staying. It’s really late, you don’t expect me to walk all the way home now. Also, after just learning that you’ll be sent to Azkaban for three years for your criminal behaviour, I can’t just leave!”

 

“Enough with the wizarding mob jokes already!” Gleeson laughs, but gets serious a moment later. “But what about your mom?”

 

“She’s still at that conference, remember? I was supposed to stay with my grandparents until the end of the week. And my step-dad doesn’t mind.” To be honest, Bates thinks his mum’s opinion that boys shouldn’t have sleepovers is completely stupid, so he’s set on staying to spite her anyway. Also, he misses sleepovers with Gleeson terribly and it’s about time they had one again.

 

***

 

They set up the guest mattress and go to bed pretty quickly then, and when they’re both lying on their beds and darkness settles around them, Bates sighs happily. “I missed this,” he confesses, because it’s always easier to confess simple things with a lot of meaning once you’re lying in the safety of darkness at a sleepover.

 

He knows Gleeson is smiling then without having to actually see it – he hears it in Gleeson’s voice. “Me too,” Gleeson replies only a heartbeat later. “Thank you.”

 

Bates is a bit confused. “Uh, what for?” He asks.

 

“For making this so easy for me. For not judging me.”

 

It sounds so honest that it makes Bates’s chest hurt. “Of course, G,” he replies. “You’re my best friend, no matter what.” And because the song is basically ingrained in his heart, he adds, “you know, _You Got A Friend In Me._ ”

 

And suddenly they’re singing, and Bates has no idea how that happened.

 

_Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am_

_Bigger and stronger too_

_Maybe_

_But none of them_

_Will ever love you the way I do_

_It's me and you, boy_

_And as the years go by_

_Our friendship will never die_

_You're gonna see it's our destiny_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

 

This has become their song over the years, and right now, Bates thinks they couldn’t have chosen a better one. All he needs to say to Gleeson right now but can’t, because he’s too awkward and needs to make a joke out of everything, it’s all in this song.

 

Bates’s heart beats warm and comfortable in his chest when they end the song and he almost feels like reaching up in the darkness to grab Gleeson’s hand, as a gesture of _“I’m here for you”_ – but he doesn’t.

 

Instead he suddenly thinks about his mom and how much she would hate it that he has thoughts like that. How much she might possibly hate Gleeson now for actually being gay. He doesn’t know how homophobic – a word he learned from Gleeson today – his mom actually is, but he knows that she has been asking weird questions about him and Gleeson for at least two years, she has been shouting at him for sharing a bed with Gleeson, she practically stopped sleepovers from happening because she thinks that boys shouldn’t do that anymore at a certain age.

 

Bates has never understood it, but now more than ever, it makes him afraid.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Gleeson asks suddenly, as if he can read minds. (Bates sometimes has the feeling that Gleeson actually can.)

 

Bates isn’t sure what to say – he doesn’t want to ruin this great evening, but also doesn’t want to crack a joke about this, so he’s basically stuck with telling the truth, but not making a big deal out of it. “Yeah, alright. Just thinking about my mom and that she wouldn’t be happy with this.” Thankfully, ‘this’ is a very broad word, so Bates isn’t even lying. And because he doesn’t want to discuss it, he adds: “Hey, can we turn on the Buzz light?”

 

The Buzz light is an old Toy Story night light they used to have when Bates was still afraid of the darkness. He isn’t anymore now, but sometimes it just feels more comfortable and calm if there’s a small light on, and Gleeson has always understood.

 

“Forget about your mum, okay?” Gleeson says while he rummages in his bedside table for the night light, and for him those words almost count as an act of rebellion.

 

Bates snickers. “Well, if you think so, then hell yeah, I will forget about her!” He exclaims, and even to him his voice sounds suddenly too loud in the darkness.

 

Then the night light goes on suddenly and Bates can see Gleeson’s grinning face for only a second before Gleeson’s pillow hits him in the face. Their traditional pillow fights with the night light are almost as old as the night light itself, so Bates gasps dramatically, grabs the pillow that just hit him and declares, “This means war, George Gleeson!”

 

They’re sitting up in no time, throwing everything soft and throw-able they can get their hands on. It used to be a lot more things, stuffed animals and cuddly blankets and all that, but they can make do with three pillows and Finn the dolphin just as well. The thought crosses Bates’s mind that his mum would probably have killed them for making so much noise so late at night and that Gleeson’s parents are way cooler than his and all that, but then he forgets about parents altogether and lunges at Gleeson with his scary two-pillow windmill tactic until Gleeson begs for mercy and they collapse into each other, out of breath and laughing.

 

“You’re heavy,” Gleeson complains, because Bates’s whole upper body is basically lying on Gleeson’s chest, and Bates giggles and slides down to the guest mattress again.

 

“Hey,” Bates decides, “no matter what my mum says, we need to have more sleepovers again.” His chest is still light from laughing so much, but he still doesn’t miss the pinch of guilt he feels while saying that. Doesn’t matter though, there are things more important than his guilt.

 

“True,” Gleeson agrees, hugs Bates’s pillow and smiles at him.

 

Only then Bates realizes that he doesn’t have a pillow now. “Hey, my pillow!” he complains and tries to grab it, but Gleeson pulls it away.

 

“Oh no, forget about that, you said you brought this for me because it’s my favourite, remember?”

 

Bates snorts. “Yeah, but that was when I thought that you only barely survived a Death Eater attack that took away all the riches you gathered from your magical crime empire!”

 

Gleeson giggles and throws one of his own pillows at Bates. “Seriously, stop it with those stupid jokes, they weren’t even funny to begin with.”

 

“Then why are you always laughing about them?” Bates raises an eyebrow and grins at Gleeson.

 

But Gleeson doesn’t want to give up so easily apparently, so he grins back and replies: “Out of pity for you of course.”

 

“Oooooh!” Bates moans dramatically and grabs his heart. “You’re a mean one, George Gleeson. I’ve learned so many dark secrets about you today.”

 

Gleeson chuckles and retorts: “Well, you were mean for laughing at me earlier.”

 

“Absolutely true,” Bates admits. He still feels a bit guilty about it, even though Gleeson sounds more like he’s joking now and doesn’t really mean it. “I’ll write you an official apology card, if it will make you feel better.”

 

“It definitely will!” Gleeson says. And then there’s his special smile again, the one he only ever uses for Bates, and this smile is one of Bates’s greatest treasures and when he sees it, he knows he’s going to sleep so well tonight.

 

“Okay. Good night, Georgie,” Bates smiles back, closes his eyes and snuggles into the blankets and Gleeson’s pillow a bit more.

 

He can hear Gleeson’s sheets rustling and it’s a comfort to him that he knows exactly the position Gleeson just shifted to, the one he always sleeps in: Lying on his back, the blanket tugged to his chin, his head sideways, his face turned towards Bates. Maybe they’ve grown up a bit since last time, maybe everything will change now that Gleeson has come out to him, but maybe not. Maybe some things just always stay the same.

 

“Good night, Gee,” Gleeson replies just before Bates drifts off to sleep.


End file.
